How to Plant Asparagus In Easy Ways

When you think about fresh spears then you must remember the fresh vegetables, asparagus. It’s all the time sweet and slender spears that has been everyone’s favorite.

Asparagus plant grows every spring. It’s perennial bulb and stem vegetable. It consists of male and female plants. The female one produces berries and male one produces stem.

Asparagus is member of lily family. There are two colors of asparagus, they are green and white. Both are nutritious but the green one contains vitamin A, potassium, and trace mineral more than the white ones.

What you need to know about asparagus?

Well, asparagus is exceptionally beneficial for health. It contains fiber and protein which is important for digestion and immunity. Then, it has anti-inflammatory to protect you against diabetes type 2, antioxidants to protect you from sun damage, vitamin K for healthy bones and blood clottings, inulin to absorb better nutrients, and vitamin B to regulate blood sugar level.

It’s one of the most favorite vegetables ever. You can buy it from the grocery but think about planting it yourself. Yes, you can grow asparagus plant with your own hands. Isn’t it amazing to harvest vegetables from your garden?

How to Plant Asparagus

Asparagus can be planted in the early spring soil. The plant that you can grow is from one year old plants. To plant asparagus, it takes 2 to 3 years.

However, it can last and be productive for 20 years. Let’s explore the way to plant asparagus in an easy and simple way so everybody can plant it at home.

– Soil

Sandy is the best soil type to plant asparagus. It needs soil Ph in slightly acid to neutral. It is better not to use a site where asparagus growing before. The best place is plant crop such as sorghum or rye. It is beneficial for asparagus to grow in such soil. Making the best bed for asparagus is quite challenging because it uses the bed for years later.

– Planting

In the past, people believed that the best way to plant asparagus is to mix male-female varieties. Today, new research has been developed and found that the best varieties for asparagus planting is all-male varieties.

Male asparagus more focus on producing spears. They do not produce seedling because it can disturb the established plants and in fact, it can reduce yields. Besides, male varieties are more resistant to disease than female one.

Now let’s move to the way of planting

First, remove all weeds from the bed. Dig it and work in 2 to 4 layer inch of compost, manure or soil mix. Next, prepare the crown or one year old asparagus to be planted. When it’s planted, asparagus need full sun exposure.

Second, dig 6 inch deep trenches. It’s better to have raised bed for asparagus because they don’t like to have wet feet. Good drainage bed is needed for them to grow well.

Third, make a mound in the trench and place the crown about 15 to 18 inches apart. Then, cover the roots part with 2 inches deep soil.

Fourth, water them thoroughly with care. When it grows, you need to cover the trench with soil until it leaves only 3 to 4 inches for the stem to expose.

When to plant asparagus

The best time to plant asparagus is in early-mid spring when the soil is ready to be worked. You need to pay attention on the asparagus patch. Keeping it free from weeds is a must especially in the first couple years. Hence it will grow well and produce healthy asparagus.

About harvest time, asparagus usually has three growing season which you can harvest in the second or third year. Planting asparagus needs more patience. Don’t harvest it too hard because it will disturb the established plants. You may harvest the spears which are thicker than pencil and it can be done in the second or third year.

However, you can start harvesting asparagus for a period of two to three weeks once after the following years. The way to harvest asparagus is by snapping-off 2 to 3 inches above the soil. Let the ferns grow after harvesting to accomplish nutrients for the next growth.